Electric railroad-crossing signal.



T. C. CLARK.

ELECTRIC RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29, 1903.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29. 1903.

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No. 762,686. PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

Y T. O. OLARK. ELECTRIC RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION IILED DEC. 29, 1903. H0 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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T. G. CLARK.

ELECTRIC RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29, 1903.

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Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS OONNER CLARK, OF CAMBRIDGE, OHIO.

ELECTRIC RAILROAD-CROSSING SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,686, dated June 14 1904,

Application filed December 29, 1903. Serial No. 137,002. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS OONNER CLARK, acitizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Guernsey and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Railroad-Crossing Signals, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a railroad-crossing signal for sounding an alarm at a grade-crossing where a roadway crosses .a railroad-track as a timely warning for teams and pedestrians; and it comprises two circuitclosing devices arranged in the track, one on each side of the crossing and about one hundred and fifty yards from the same,an electric bell which is mounted in a box at the crossing and arranged to be rung upon the approach of a train in either direction, a commutator with electric motor for turning it by which the time during which the bell is to continue in operation is controlled, and electromechanical devices for opening and closing the various circuits and holding them open or closed, as may be required, and also a circuit-breaking device for the track-circuit.

My invention consists in the simple, practical, and novel instrumentalities employed by me for carrying out the above-mentioned results, which I will now proceed to describe with reference to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view,-and Fig. 2 a side elevation, of a grade-crossing, showing the general arrangement of the signal in relation to the railroad-tracks and the road crossing the same. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits connecting the various parts of the'apparatus. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the controlling instrument. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view'of the same, partly in section, looking in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is aside view, partly in section, of the commutator devices looking in the direction of the arrow 6-in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-section of the circuitcloser in the track, the section being taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the same devices, taken on line 9 9 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a similar cross-section of the circuit-breaker in the track; and Fig. 11 is an end view of the armature-lever, showing the motor-circuit contacts.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, R R represent the railroad-rails, and X the bell-box in which the bell, the three batteries, and the main parts of the electromechanical devices are contained. From this bell-box there runs an insulated wire in, which extends along the rails of the track for one hundred and fifty yards, more or less, on each side of the road-crossing, as shown atm m and at its terminus at each end connects with a circuit-closing device c c and c c. The other contacts of the circuit-closing devices are permanently connected to ground at G and G, Fig. 2, through wires :0 m These circuit-closing devices I will describe more fully in detail hereinafter. For the present it will be sufiicient to understand that they normally stand open, and when a train passes the wheels of the engine close the circuit and operate the instrument within the box X when going in either direction. The completed circuit is made through a return-ground G to the box through wire .2 and through the instrument and track-battery contained in said box.

At a point immediately at the crossing there is a circuit-breaking device 0 7), which is connected to the box by wires 1 7 This circuitbreaking device is normally closed, but when acted upon by the wheels of the engine in passing it serves to open a circuit in the box and stop the ringing of the bell.

I will now describe the devices within the box X, reference being had to Figs. 3, at, and 5. T is a table bearing an electric motor M, a commutator O, and an electromechanical controlling instrument Eh II. These devices are connected by circuit-wires to a connecting-board CB, Fig. 3, an electric bell EB, and to three separate batteries, as follows-4. 0., to BB, the bell-battery, to TB, the track-battery, and to ME, the motor-battery.

The motor is any ordinary electric motor,

and it serves, through grooved pulley 1 and belt 2, to turn grooved pulley 3 on the axle of commutator-wheel O. This commutatorwheel makes and breaks the bell-circuit and a locking-circuit, and it is constructed as follows: A non-conducting disk has its periphery covered with metal 4 except for a short space 5. (See Figs. 4 and 6.) A lever 8, bearing a platinum-tipped screw 7, traverses this disk as it rotates, and its path through the greater part of the revolution of the disk is on the metal surface 4, which permits a current to flow from lever 8 and pin 7- to the metal surface 4 of the disk and to its metal axle by a side wire or metal strip 8 and thence by wire 9 to binding-post 10,. When, however, the non-conducting surface 5 of the disk passes under the screw 7, this circuit is broken. This is the circuit making and breaking point for the bell-circuit. Just beside the non-conducting surface 5 of the commutator-disk is a raised circular rib 6, arranged on the periphery of the disk and adapted to close two contacts whenever the screw 7 is resting on the non-conducting space of the disk. These contacts consist (see Fig. 5) of a platinum-tipped screw 12 and a spring 11, whose end rides on rib 6 of the disk and is lifted into contact with the screw 12. This screw is carried in an insulating-block 13 and connects with wire 19, and the spring 11 is strained downwardly and adjusted as to tension by a screw 15, so that when the spring passes off the rib 6'it will drop out of contact with the platinumtipped screw 12. The spring 11 is in electrical contact with an arm 14 and bindingpost 20, and this arm is ,carried on a vertical stem 16 in an upright barrel 18 and has thereina vertical adjustment by means of a setscrew 17. j g

The arm 8 (see Fig. 6) is connected by an insulated 'flat spring 20 to a lug 21, extending upwardly from a flat base 22, which slides,

' by means of a dovetail rib, in a groove in a T-head 23. The base 22 is adjustably fixed to the T-head by a screw-bolt 24, and on the end of the base opposite the lug 21 is a yoke 28, which embraces the lever 8 and has a setscrew 29 tapped through the top and bearing upon the lever 8, so as to vary its pressure upon the commutatonwheel. The T head has a vertical stem 25 slidably held in a hollow post 27 and fixed in position by a set-screw 26. These devices permit commutator-wheels C of different sizes to be used, so as to vary the time of the ringing of the bell. The vertical adjustment is secured by the post 25 and set-screw 26 and the horizontal adjustment by the sliding base 22 and the screw-bolt 24.

I will now describe the electromagnetic circuit-controlling instrument, reference being had to Figs. 4 and 5. This instrument is mounted on a supplemental table T, suitably fixed upon the table T. Centrally upon the table T is fixed the electromagnet 3O 30, and above the poles of the same is supported the armature 7 8, attached to the horizontal lever 36. This lever is made of metal to serve as a conductor and is fulcrumed upon an upright standard 37, which is in electrical connection with a metal bar 38 laid flat on the table and carrying at its end a binding-post 67 to which is attached a wire 1). The lever 36 and armature 78 are normally forced up by a helical spring and are brought down by the closure of a circuit through the electromagnet 30 30 over the wires 31 and 34, coming from binding-posts 32 and 35, whose connections extend to the track and include the circuit-closers c 0, and c 0' along the rails, which are operated by the wheels of the passing engine. The descent of the lever closes three pairs of contacts. These three pairs of contacts are as follows: first, the motor-circuit contacts, which are located at the extreme outer end of the lever and consist of a platinum-tipped screw 54, tapped through a metal block 53, sustained on an insulating-section 36 of the lever, and a subjacent spring-seated pin 55, which yields downwardly when screw 54 strikes it, so that the lever can continue to descend and close the other contacts, as hereinafter described. The serewcontact 54 (see Fig. 11) is connected by wire 52 to bindingpost 56, and the latter by wire 58 is connected to binding-post 10. The lower spring-seated contact 55 is connected by wire 61 to bindingpost 62 and from the latter extends the wire 63. Thesecond pair of contacts to be closed by the descent of the armature-lever are those of a locking-circuit,which throws a batteryeurrent into the electromagnets and maintains them charged and the lever down after the engine has passed off the circuit-closing contacts in the track. These locking-contacts consist of a platinum-tipped screw 44, extending through the lever 36, and a subjacent platinumfaeed spring 45, extending horizontally from a yoke 50, through which the lever protrudes and which yoke has an adjustable stop-screw 51 to determine the upward movementof the armature-lever. The screw 44 is in electricalconnection with the lever 36, its supportingstandard 37, bar 38, binding-post 67, and wire The subjacent contact 45 is electrically connected, through yoke 50 and bar 64, with binding-post 65 and wire 66. The third pair of contacts to be closed by the downward movement of the armature-lever are the bell-circuit contacts. These consist of a screw 39, tapped through one end of the armature 78, and a subjacent horizontal spring 40, mounted on a standard 59. The contact-screw 39 is in electrical connection with the armature 78 and wire 43, and the subjacent spring 40 is connected to wire 42, leading to the bell-battery and bell.

72 is a binding-post connected by wire 71 to binding-post 69 and wire and 74 is a wire connecting with the arm 8 of the commutator.

I will now'describe the circuit-closers and circuit-breaker, which are arranged along the track to be operated upon by the passing engine. The circuit-closers are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and, as hereinbefore described, are arranged along the track about one hundred sure of the locomotive-wheel.

and fifty yards on each side of the crossing, the circuit-breaker being arranged near the crossing between the circuit-closers.

' Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, which show two vertical sections at right angles to each other, 0 0 represent the same circuit-closer designated by these letters in Figs. 1 and 2 and which consists of the following parts: 94 is a depressible and tilting shoe which is arranged beside the head of the rail in position to be acted upon by the edge of the locomotivewheel. This shoe has a screw-threaded stem on its lower side that is turned into a plate 95, which rides on top of a helical spring 107, contained within a cup 97. A screw-cap 96 is turned onto the upper threaded edge of the cup 97 and prevents the shoe- 94 and disk 95 from jumping out. the blow ofthe locomotive-wheel and also allows the shoe 94 to tilt-slightly. The cup 97 has a screw-threaded stem 98 on its lower side, that turns into a threaded barrel 99, and this barrel is mounted on a subjacent coil-spring 101 inside a chambered block 106. The elevation of the shoe 94 in relation to the rail is adjusted by turning the screw-threaded stem 98 in the barrel 99 and then fixing it to its adjustment by a set-screw 100, tapped through the block 99 and bearing against the screwstem 98 to lock these two parts rigidly together, so that they move as one up and down upon the spring 101 in response to the pres- In the side of the block 106 there are two vertical slots. One of these gives passage to the set-screw 100, and the other lower one gives passage to the tappet-arm 102, which is screwed into the barrel 99 and partakes of its up-and-down movement from the passage of the train. Beneath a contact-screw in the arm is a spring 103 and beneath this a spring-seated contact I 104, against which the spring 103 is forced whenever the train passes. The spring 103 is mounted on an insulating-block 108 and has a binding-post connected by wire a? with the ground G, and the contact 104 is connected to another binding-post on the block 108, which is connected to the track-wire #1 leading to the bell-box. The coil-spring of the contact 104 is seated in a recess of the insulating-block 108, and this contact is normally away from the spring 103; but when the train passes and arm 102 presses spring 103 against the subjacent contact 104 a circuit from the bell-box to the ground will be closed.

The two circuit-closers 0 c and c 0 on opposite sides of the crossing are exactly alike, and the intermediate circuit-breaker c 6 (see Fig. 10) has a similar shoe 94, screw-cap 96, cup 97, block 106, set-screw 100, depressible arm 102, and insulating-block 108. It has, however, two contact-springs 109 and 110, which form terminals for the wires ;1 ;1 leading from the bell-box, and a bridge-piece The spring 107 cushions 112 is normally held up to connect the springs 110 and 109 by a subjacent coil-spring 111, seated in a recess in the non-conductingblock. This maintains a closed circuit at this point; but when the train passes and arm 102 descends it depresses l.)ridge-piece 112 and breaks contact between the springs 109 and 110, and thus opens the circuit.

Both the circuit-closers and circuit-breaker are inclosed within a metal case having dctachable cover, which case is located in the road-bed upon or between the ties, and over this case is maintained a flexible petticoat 105 and 105 of waterproof material to keep out rain, snow, and dust, so as to maintain the effieient and accurate operation of the devices within. This petticoat is perforated in the center, and through this opening passes the shank of the screw-stem 98, which thus eonveniently holds it in place. The lower edge of the petticoat maybe weighted or tacked to the ties to hold it down.

I will now describe the connections of the controlling instrument with the connectingboard CB, the batteries, the ground, and the track-wires.

Referring to Fig. 3, the circuit from the track-battery TB is made as follows: from one side of the battery to wire 88, bindingpost 87, wire .2' from the bell-box X to the ground G from the other side of the battery TB to wire 89, binding-post 90, wire 33, binding-post 32, wire 31, electromagnet 30 30, wire 34, binding-post 35, wire 19, screw 12 and subjacent spring 11, (the latter being in contact by the upward pressure of rib 6 on the commutator, as seen in Fig. 5,) arm 14, binding-post 20, wire 68, binding-post 49, wire 48, binding-post 47, bar 64, binding-post 65, wire 66, binding-post 93 on the connecting-board, wires to the track-wire :r/ :r, to the lower contact of circuit-closer c c, thence through the upper contact (whenever the engine-wheels close them) to ground (1 or (1 and back to ground (3: again, thus preliminarily depressing lever 36 by the charging of the eleetromagnets 30 30. The first effect of the depression of lever 36 is to close the motor-circuit of battery MB through contacts 54 and 55 and start the motor. This circuit is made over the following path, (see Fig. 3:)

starting from one pole of the motor-battery.

MB to wire 92, binding-post 91, wire 76 through the electric motor, wire 7?, bindingpost 85, wire 63, binding-post 62, wire 61 to the lower contact 55, (see Figs. 5 and 11,) the upper contact 54, wire 52, binding-post 56, wire 58, binding-post 10, wire '75 to the other pole of the motor-battery. The motor through pulleys 1 and 3 and belt 2 turns the commutator (1. Before the pin 7 of the commutator passes off the non-conducting surface 5 of the commutator a locking-circuit has been closed by the descent of lever 36, which holds the lever 36 down, so that it will not immediately rise again after the engine passes off the circuitcloser 0 c in the track. This locking-circuit is closed through the electromagnets 30 by means of the contacts 44 and 45, which are brought together by the descent of lever 36, the said contacts being the terminals of a circuit made through 'the track-battery TB, which is traced as follows, reference being had to Fig. 3: from upper contact 44, lever 36, standard 37, bar 38,bindingpost 67, wire 3/ to the closed circuit-breaker 0 Z) in the track, back by wire y, binding-post 69, wire 71, binding-post 72, wire 73, binding-post 87 on the connecting-board, wire 88, track-battery TB, wire 89, binding-post 90, wire 33, bindingpost 32, wire 31, electromagnet 30 30, wire 34, binding-post 35, wire 19, closed contacts 12 and 11, bar 14, binding-post 20, wire 68, binding-post 49, wire 48, binding-post 47, bar 64, yoke 50, and lower-contact springarm 45. This circuit holds the lever 36 down as long as the contacts 12 and 11 are maintained together by rib 6 on the commutatorwheel. The bell continues to ring only while contacts 12 and 11 are closed by rib 6. \Vhen, however, the commutatorwheel turns far enough to let rib 6 pass from under spring 11, the latter falls and both the locking-circuit and bell-circuit are broken. Before this occurs, however, the pin 7 of arm 8 passes onto the conducting-surface 4 of the commutator, and

the preliminary motor-circuit over wire 58 to During the time that the contacts 12 and 11 are kept closed by the rib 6 of the commutator the lever- 36 is held down and the bellcontacts 39 and 40 are closed, and the circuit from bell-battery BB is maintained through the bell to continue its ringing over the fol lowing circuitzfrom the upper bell-contact 39 to armature 78, wire 43, binding-post 86, the bell-magnets, binding-post 79, wire 80, binding-post 81, wire 82, bell-battery BB, wire 83, binding-post 84, wire 42, bindingpost 41, and lower bell-contact 40.

The object in pulling the rib 6 from under the contact-terminals 11 12 of the main circuit, before referred to, is to kill the main circuit in the track, so that the train in passing over the second track-circult closer cannot again close the track-circuit until the commutator-disk has revolved and the rib has again come under the spring 11 and closed the terminals 11 12.

Another reason why the bell is kept ringing only during the traverse of the rib 6 under the spring 11 is that in case the train stops at the crossing for a time the bell is not kept ringing continuously, as would be the'case if the rib 6 extended completely around the commutator.

It will be remembered that the armature-lever 36 is brought down in a preliminary way by the closing of one or the other of the circuit-closers 0 0 or 0 a; but as this circuit would be rapidly made and broken by the passage of the wheels of the train these circuitclosers are only employed in a preliminary way to depress the armature-lever 36, which is held down by the closure of the lockingcircuit through the contacts 44 and 45, as heretofore described. When the train reaches the crossing, this locking circuit is to be opened, and this is the function of the circuitbreaker 0 b. The locking-circuit, it will be remembered, was completed through the hinding-posts 67 and 69 and the attached wires y and y, which lead from the bell-box to the circuit-breaker 0 Z) in the track. It will therefore be plain from Fig. 10 that when the leeomotivewheel depresses the shoe 94 the locking circuit in wires 1 and will be broken between springs 109 and 110, and the elcetromagnet 3O 30 being relieved of the influence of this circuit the armature-lever 36 rises from spring 60 and opens the bell-circuit contacts 39 and 40 and also the motor-circuit contacts.

It will be seen that when the rib 6 of the commutator is under the spring 11, as it is when the instrument is at rest, the two contacts 11 and 12 of the track-circuit are closed and the circuit-closers in the track are responsive to the passage of trains; but when a train passes and closes the first circuit-closer the controlling instrument in the bell-box responds; but it does not respond to the second circuitcloser as the train leaves the crossing, because as the commutator-wheel takes some time to make a complete revolution a period of time exists when the spring 11 is off the rib 6 of the commutator and the track-circuit is open between 11 and 12, and it is during this period that the train passes over the second circuit-closer, whose depression then by the car-wheels leaving the crossing produces no effect on the instrument in the bell-box.

The commutator is brought to rest with the rib 6 always under the spring 11 by the breaking of the motor-circuit, due to screw 7 (see Fig. 6) passing onto the non-conducting surface 5 of the commutator. The motor is designed to be controlled as to speed by any suitable regulator or governor. The commutator is to make a complete revolution in one, two, or three minutes. revolution of the commutator this is effected by the pressure of the screw 7 acting on the periphery of the commutator as a brake under the influence of a variable tension from screw 29. The time period is further varied by interchangeable commutator-wheels of different diameter, provision for which is made by the vertical adjustable post 25 and horizontally-adjustable slide 22. WVith commutator-wheels of different sizes and the variable tension of screw 29 any desired time of revolution may be obtained.

It will be seen by referring to Fig. 4 that the motor M is connected by the belt 2 and pulleys 1 and 3 directly to the commutatorwheel, which is thus shown for simplicity. It will be understood, however, that any suitable reducing or diminishing gear, such as a worm with worm-wheels, or any spurgear may be interposed between the motor and the commutator to prevent the momentum of the motor-armature from carrying the commutator too far after the current iscut off from the motor.

Instead of using track-wires for the circuits in the road-bed I may utilize the rails themselves to form parts of said circuits.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An electric railroad-crossing signal, comprising a circuit-closer, arranged in the track at a distance from the crossing and constructed as described to be closed by the passage of a car-wheel, a circuitbreaker arranged in the track at the crossing and between the circuit-closers, an electric bell and electromagnetic controlling instrument located at the crossing, circuit-wires connecting the circuit-closer, circuit-breaker, the bell, and electromagnetic controlling instrument, an electric motor and commutator, three pairs of contacts for the electromagnetic controlling device-one pair for the bell, another pair for the motor, and another pair for a locking-circuit to maintain the setting of the electromagnetic controlling device, and three batteries arranged substantially as shown and described.

2. In an electric railroad-crossin g signal, the circuit-controlling instrument comprising an electromagnet, an armature-lever with armature, three contacts mounted on the armature-lever, three corresponding subjacent contacts, a spring for raising the armature-lever, an electric motor, a commutator-wheel connected to and operated thereby, a pair of circuit-terminals extending to and opened and closed by the commutator, and a second pair of circuit terminals formed by a metallic face on the commutator-wheel extending the greater part of the way round the same, and a traversing pin, and circuit wires and bat- For timing the teries arranged substantially as shown and described.

3. In an electric railroad-crossingsignahthe combination with an electromagnet, its armature lever and contacts; of a commutator and means for rotating it, said commutator consisting of a disk having ametallic face with an insulating-space thereon and a cam-rib beside the same, two circuit-terminals extending at right angles to the plane of the disk and arranged to be brought into contact by the passage of the rib under the same, a vertically-adjustable post carrying said circuitterminals, an arm with bearing-point arranged above the commutator and traversing the periphery of the disk, said arm being mounted upon a support having both a vertical and horizontal adjustment substantially as described.

4:. In an electric railroad-crossingsignal, the combination with an electromagnet, its armature-lever and contacts; of a motor, a commutator turned thereby and contact-mountings for the commutator made adjustable to permit the substitution of a larger or smaller commutator-disk to vary the time during which the signal is made to operate substantially as described.

5. In an electric railroad-crossing signal, the combination with an electromagnet, its armature-lever and contacts; of a motor, a commutator turned by the motor and comprising a disk having an interrupted metal periphery connected electrically to its axle, a spring-arm 8 having traversing point resting on the periphery of the disk, a horizontal base 22 having post 21 carrying arm 8 and a yoke 28 carrying a binding-screw bearing on the said arm, a head 23, and bolt 24: slidably connecting the base thereto, a vertical stem 25 for the head and a vertical barrel and set-screw for securing the stem of the head substantially as described.

6. In an electric railroad-signal, the combination with the track-wires, the signal-bell and electromagnetic controlling devices; of a circuit-closer in the track, comprising the tilting and yielding shoe 9 1 having plate 95 attached to the same, a cup 97 with screw-stem 98, the spring 107 beneath the plate of the shoe, the screw-cap 96 retaining the plate 95, the barrel 99 adjustably connected to the screw-stem 9S and having a fixing-screw 100, a guide-block containing the barrel 99, a subjacent spring 101, a laterally-projecting arm extendingfrom the barrel through the guide-block, and contact-terminals arranged to be forced together by said laterally-projecting arm substantially as described.

7. In an electric railroad-signal, the combination with the track-wires, the signal-bell, and electromagnetic controlling devices; of a circuit-closer in the track, comprising a depressible shoe acted upon by the car-wheel, a laterally-projecting arm, adjusting devices between the shoe and arm, a horizontal spring 103 acted upon by said arm, a subjacent springseated contact 104, an insulating-block 108 supporting said contacts and an inclosing case substantially as shown and described.

8. In an electric railroad signal, the combination with the signal-bell, the track-Wires and a depressible track-shoe and contact devices controlled by the same; of a case for inclosing 

